In addition to the obvious health risks they pose, pest control problems can cause severe mental anguish. The thought of bed bugs, minuscule parasitic organisms, feeding on your blood while you sleep is uncomfortable to deal with, yet with the number of infestations on the rise, the thought may become a reality. The odds are that you’ll run into these parasites at some point in your life: One out of five Americans has had a bed bug infestation in their home or know someone who has.

Look out for these signs of bed bug infestation so you can properly treat the problem by contacting a pest control professional:

Bite Marks

Bed bugs survive by sucking blood from you while you sleep. Their bites are painless, and the itching, redness, and swelling is just a result of your skin’s allergic reaction to their numbing venom. Although bed bug bites are difficult to differentiate from other insect bites, they have a tendency to be lined up in a row.

Dark Red Fecal Stains

Bed bugs excrete waste after they have had their fill of your blood, which will stain your bedsheets or mattress. If you find several dark spots about the size of a small dot concentrated in one area, then you most likely have an infestation.

Physical Sample

The best way to tell if you have a bed bug problem, is if you can find a living specimen. Adult bed bugs are light brown, and will look to you like a moving, oval-shaped dot.

Home-Only Symptoms

Bed bugs are so named because they tend to feed during the night, when their primary food source—you—is typically in bed. If you find that you tend to discover itchy bite marks in the morning, and that they subside as you go about your day away from home, it may be an indication that you have a bed bug problem.

If you discover any of these signs of bed bug infestation in your home, you should contact a pest control professional. Payne Pest Management offers the best pest control services in the Orange County area, and will eradicate your bed bug problem so that you can sleep comfortably. Call us today at (949) 298-4900.

An infestation of pests and termites in your home may require the use of fumigation. Fumigation involves sealing the environment with rubber tenting, releasing the fumigant and letting it set, then ventilating the space to allow the fumigant to escape. The process will only take 24-48 hours to complete, and you’ll have a pest-free home.

Watch this video for answers to frequently asked questions about fumigation using Vikane fumigant. Learn why you should use this method when trying to sell a home, how your pest control professional targets certain pests, and how you can keep your aquarium pets safe, among other answers to commonly asked fumigation questions.

If you have further questions about fumigation or other pest control problems, contact Payne Pest Management in Orange County at (949) 298-4900. Visit us online today for more information on our services.

With summer ready to kick into high gear, you might notice the occasional bee or wasp flying about, looking for a flower to pollinate. If you start to observe bees or wasps hanging around the outside of your home, chances are there may be a hive nearby. Once you locate the hive, do not try to remove it yourself. Instead, call Payne your local professional pest control service to come to your home and do it for you. Removing the hive of stinging insects incorrectly can result in uncomfortable pain, serious health complications, or even death.

Anaphylaxis

For the average person, a single sting from a bee or wasp is momentarily painful but ultimately fleeting. However, for a small percentage of the population allergic to bee or wasp stings, the reaction, called anaphylaxis, can be fatal. Anaphylaxis is a whole-body reaction to the insect’s venom. Tissues in different parts of the body release histamine and other biologically active substances which can result in dangerously low blood-pressure, fluid build-up in the lungs, and tightened airways. Anaphylaxis can cause death if not treated in time with a epinephrine injection.

Mass Envenomation

A hive contains a swarm of potentially dangerous bees or wasps. Improperly attempting to remove or fumigate the hive will likely result in infuriating its inhabitants and sending them into a stinging frenzy. Although it would take being stung more than a thousand times by the average honey bee for the toxic dose to be lethal, mass envenomation can cause intense pain and sickness.

Renal Insufficiency

You may initially survive mass stings only to experience kidney failure in the days following the incident. Proteins in the insect’s venom can cause damage to your body’s cells, liberating tiny tissue debris that can accumulate and clog your kidneys. A stinging victim should pay close attention to how they feel, and, if necessary, see a doctor.

If you live in the Orange County area and have discovered a hive outside your home, contact Payne Pest Management today at (949) 298-4900 to ensure a safe removal. To learn more about our services, visit our website. 

Pest infestations are not only a nuisance, but can severely damage your house if left untreated. Take advantage of these links to learn how to recognize infestations and prevent them in the first place.

• Learn how to distinguish between serious and non-serious insect bites in this article from the Mayo Clinic.
• The wood-boring beetle can be found all over California. This wood-destroying insect could damage the furniture and wooden structures of your home. Find out more with this link to the University of California’s site.
• Are you curious about the process of fumigation? Learn all about it with this fact sheet from the State of California’s Department of Pesticide Regulation.
• Get the pest profile of a subterranean termite to better identify a possible infestation. Check out this link to PestWorld.org.
• Learn about alternative treatment methods for drywood and subterranean termites at the Pest Control Operators of California website.

Payne Pest Management will treat your pest problem with professional service. Our Orange Country team is waiting for your call at (818) 574-7889.